The present invention relates to a ski boot, in particular for ski-mountaineering or telemark
Ski-mountaineering boots are known to comprise a shell made of plastic material, a sole, and a shank hinged to the shell at the ankle.
Ski-mountaineering calls for boots capable of assuming a downhill position, in which, as with downhill ski boots, both the toe and heel portions of the boot are clamped to the ski and the shank of the boot is fixed rigidly to the shell, and an uphill or walking position, in which only the toe portion of the boot is clamped and the heel portion is free, i.e. raised off the ski, to enable the ski to be dragged as in cross-country skiing
A major drawback of this type of boot lies in it allowing of no change in position when skiing downhill in soft snow.
By way of a solution to the problem, ski-mountaineering boots have been proposed comprising a mechanism by which to rotate the shank forwards when moving diagonally downhill, so that the user""s weight is shifted forwards, and to prevent rearward rotation of the shank with respect to the shell to prevent an excessively rearward position when turning.
Boots of this sort, however, are not rigid enough for downhill skiing on hard snow or ski tracks, by even the slightest rotation of the shank with respect to the shell making it difficult to control the ski and increasing the risk of injury.
Telemark skiing poses similar problems by calling for turning with the heel raised off the ski, as opposed to clamped rigidly as in conventional skiing. Known boots are normally capable of assuming an uphill or walking position without the ski, in which the shank is free to rotate forwards and rearwards with respect to the shell, and a downhill position in which the shank is locked; while other known models enable the shank to rotate slightly forwards with respect to the shell.
Boots of this sort therefore also fail to provide for all-round performance by being designed for specific types of snow.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a plastic ski boot, in particular a ski-mountaineering or telemark boot, designed to solve the aforementioned problems typically associated with known boots.
According to the prevent invention, there is provided a ski boot, in particular a ski-mountaineering or telemark boot, comprising a shell made of plastic material and having a bottom wall, two lateral walls and a toe portion; a shank hinged to said shell; and a control mechanism, located at the rear portion of the boot, for controlling the tilt of the shank with respect to the shell and comprising:
a first retaining portion and a second retaining portion, one of which is integral with said shell, and the other with said shank; and
a lever member hinged to said first retaining portion, said lever member being movable between a work position wherein one end rests on said second retaining portion to prevent rearward rotation of said shank, and a release position;
characterized in that said control mechanism comprises a third retaining portion integral with said second retaining portion; and an auxiliary locking member movable between a lock position connecting said lever member to said third retaining portion, and a rest position